You mentioned in an earlier post that Anime's influence came from earlier Disney films. Very true, but what is not mentioned was that Japanese animators didn't have the budget nor the method to rotoscope their actors(Yes Disney rotoscopes). With these limitations, animators saw fit to rely on alternating between beautifully rendered still shots and 2-3 frame animations.

The major difference between Japanese/European and Western comics was the Western's interpretation of a comic book aka "the funnies". That one label has held us back from branching into different types. Cartoons are kids shows, nothing else. Mean while Europe and Japan are making comics and cartoons for all ages. Astrix, Tin Tin, Smurfs from Europe. Dororo, Battleship Yamato, Speed Racer from Japan. Even when theses cartoons were released in the US it was re-dubbed to protect kids from topics of death and pain. Yes it's true in the 70's we tried to curve the minds with movies like Ralph Bakski's "Wizards" and "Lord of the Rings" or Clive Smith's "Rock and Rule". Even Disney tried with "the Black Caldron" and learned that in the West, kids couldn't handle death. In the end Disney was king and the king created for the children.

So when Otomo's "Akira" came and showed us what Japanese Anime REALLY was, we where hungry for more. To confess, I lived in Toronto, Canada when I was a child. My exposure to comics were Tin Tin and Heavy Metal (when I could trick them into selling it to me). I knew from an early age that comics weren't just for kids. This is what Anime did for many comic artists, I think even you. It showed western artists that we are not limited by topics of comedy and super heroes. It reopened the creative gates and showed others why we watch, draw and praise foreign comics. It freed us of comic book heroes dressed in costumes and talking animals used to amuse the young.

These stereotypes you are uncomfortable with are NOT reflective of an art style nor a slap in the face to artists. It's a reflection of what is stereotypical exceptable within that country and its history. It is a visual marker to readers so they know what they are walking into. Look at "the Boondocks" or "the Last Air Bender". Both are Anime in style, telling the viewer "hay this is going to get crazy."

Like I could draw pure manga inspiration ..but if I wanted to sale a manga chances are I'd have to go to japan and as closed as Japanese society is along with the low pay and difficulty of making a hit manga , success is unlikely =/ but possible , yo boy Felipe smith did it . Or you can try Korea and relabel it Manhwa and learn Korean . Chances are not going to sale a manga style comic here in the USA through traditional means . (There Marvel and DC , then there independent then there the " Expensive High brow" Graphic novels aimed a very small niche of people ). Markets and publishers are very entrenched and culturally centric (if there a market... if there no market , your kinda screwed really ) So if folks are generalizing by country in relationships to a market there usually correct , But individual ? probably not . . Lucky there the internet where you can find any audience and self fund with kick starter and be your own pioneer ,

Artist aren't limited to the country style . There markets are though ,usually retail market in particular are very much bounded to the local audience (and the more expensive the product take to create ) . Though on the web and the internet yeah not so much or a place like deviant-art . Think that the main problem to be honest you can draw any style but your limited to the particular market available in your country and usually the easy way out is to find a publisher . If there is no market then you just do outsource work for another country and making sustainable income on the internet is difficult despite having a an audience anywhere in the world. With thing like kick-starter finally changing .

I would agree that over generalization is bad. That being said I have been guilty of this in a way. For instance when I look at Katsura Terada I think Moebius and by default a more European style than japanese. Or Gipsy by Enric Marini who is Swiss I think Otomo. As Inkthinker mentioned I feel many artists are influenced from abroad.

When dealing with comics I think the key factor is can someone tell a story? It doesn't matter if they use pen and ink, zipatone poo on a stick what ever.

The problem that I see a lot isn't so much that thing are generalized by country, but that they're generalized IN GENERAL. This is fine, I suppose, if you're doing it for the sake of conversation or doing so sparingly. However, it can get a bit out of hand.

Yess, Thank you ! I really wish people would stop being so ignorant towards art. Would that be the right word? I don't know, but either way, stereotyping styles makes a lot of difficult problems for many artists who just wants to make art without feeling criticized for it.

As someone that grew up in 3 countries. I've been trying to say this for years. Drives me crazy when people dismiss perfectly good stories because "I only read _____ because only ___ people can write and draw". Crazy!

When I was applying for pencilling jobs in the comic book industry, hearing stuff like, "This is too Japanese for our tastes" or "This is too cartooney to be manga" is very common. Publishers have a very specific idea of what they think manga/comics should look like, but in the second set of examples, those were artists who ignored those stereotypes and became hugely successful with their own unique styles. For example, had Scott Pilgrim been shopped to Tokyopop or Viz, they might've said "This is too wordy to be manga" or "Too 'indie' for our tastes"--leading them to lose out on what would become one of the most successful comic titles in the last 10 years.

TL;DR When you go into critiques from actual publishers, they have funny indirect ways of saying your style isn't what they're looking for. He's saying you should embrace your differences rather than cater to what they think is marketable.

American comics publishers are the last people to consult when it comes to taste. I'm not saying American comics are bad, there are amazing comic artists in every part of the world. But the mainstream publishers miss the mark constantly here as a result of being unadventurous, and too influenced by speculators and stuff. They don't take chances, and their "safe" bets often fall flat. The only comics they seem to be able to sell are anthologies, and stuff based on big properties like Batman and Adventure Time. I shouldn't complain I suppose. Most of my exposure to the industry these days is through Linkara.

Everyone is influenced by every country known to man. If they have a favorite cartoon character, or even a different show. The artist that creates THAT very piece is influenced by who knows how many. I hate to say for the stereotypes, that accusation is sooo untrue this come of age! Hell, we use too many different tools to be set into something that small.

I think everyone should draw a little from each, their is not limits to what can inspire you. I find it's mainly older people such as teachers and the like that say everything not centered in realism is "Manga" and therefore bad :/

When I was little, I wanted to be able to draw anime, but I thought I couldn't do it since I wasn't japanese....but I know better now. I also love it how countries are influencing each other's art style; it shows how connected the world is

This is something I've learned at a very young age. My father was a painter and taught me how to draw, he also showed me comics from other countries like Tintin and the early Heavy Metal magazines. I never knew there where so many different and wonderful styles outside of the of superhero comics. I thought for a moment that these styles were only available outside of America but then he gave me even more comics, the underground ones like Tank Girl and a few others I can't remember the names to.

It was absolutelyfascinating that these comics existed. I stopped pinning styles to certain countries and started appreciating them for what they were.